Chapter 229: Rock vs Flying 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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"Does this actually work?"
"Well, it''s still just a monster."
Mypanions agreed with my response to Han Se-Ah''s musing.
We had just delivered a spicy 24-hour suspension kick to a harpy and had now captured our fourth one.
The harpy, smart enough to recognize staffs and bows and distinguish between archers and mages, was still only a one-star in intelligence.
Han Se-Ah easily tricked them using the inventory to surprise them.
"They probably never expected arrows to shoot out of nowhere. Even I wouldn''t have believed it if someone told me in the past."
"Our family doesn''t have such treasures. At best, they might reduce weight or volume."
Even a magically enchanted carriage can''t store items like an inventory.
It might make 100kg feel like 60kg orpress a 3m tall object into 1m.
So, when two women, without a carriage, staff, or bow, suddenly pulled out bows, arrows, and staffs from thin air and fired sticky arrowheads, the harpies, who had only seen mercenaries retrieve items from carriages, werepletely caught off guard.
Even if they knew about the magic carriage, only Han Se-Ah, a yer, could produce items out of thin air from an inventory.
"We''ll turn the camera around, tie them up tightly, and show you."
-It''s like a country grandma catching a chicken.
-The chicken or duck bundled up, with only its head poking out LOL.
-But with only the head sticking out, it looks like a human trafficking scene.
-The main source of ie for the hero party is kidnapping and ve trading.
-If multiyer was possible, I would''ve immediately bought one with gold.
While looking for the passage and lowering the harpies'' guard on high mountain paths, Grace and Han Se-Ah avoid fighting even when a wild shadow leopard appears.
Once they get dangerously close for an arrow shot, they whip out their weapons from the inventory and boom!
Despite their intelligence, the captured harpies couldn''t warn the others telepathically, making it surprisingly easy to capture them.
Aside from the time it takes to lower their guard, the situation is perfect.
Even if they only asionally get shadow leopard mana stones, there''s no loss, thanks to the dwarf side quest and the bounty for harpies as research material.
"Should we give this to the magic tower?"
"Or maybe to the temple?"
"Hmm, I wonder what our brothers and sisters will discover..."
Afterwards, they wrapped the fallen harpy in thick cloth, tying it tightly with rope and leaving only its head and feet exposed to avoid a stream suspension.
Thepanions casually chatted while looking at the bundled harpy.
Kyah? Kyaaak-!
True to its reputation as the named monster of the 41st floor, the raptor''s ws, nearly asrge as kitchen knives, scratched at the rocks and shattered stones in its struggle.
But even this formidable creature had its limits, with a body partly human.
The harpy, its knees and calves tightly bound, could only il its ankles, kicking up dust but causing no real harm.
"Will those guys try to escape again this time?"
"It looks like they''ve given up attacking us since their leader was captured."
"They may not speak, but they''re certainly cunning."
I hoisted the harpy, wrapped tightly in thick cloth, onto my shoulder.
It red fiercely and struggled, but its beak, unlike human teeth, couldn''t prate my steel armor.
With a human-like head, the harpy banged its forehead against my armor until it finally calmed down.
Mypanions, observing casually, continued forward without hesitation.
...This is the fifth one.
I hope something changes soon.
"Should we hand this one over and move to the 42nd floor? I think I''ve found the passage... it''s over there, at that peak."
"Really? We''re already at the passage to the 42nd floor. Let''s finish the dwarves'' request, then return here and head straight to the 42nd floor, skipping more harpy captures. What do you think, Hanna?"
"That''s a good idea. Catching harpies is profitable, but we can''t linger on the 41st floor forever."
Han Se-Ah immediately agreed with my suggestion to proceed to the 42nd floor after capturing five harpies.
Our routine has been to explore, capture a harpy when it lets down its guard, return to the magic tower, then go back out, capture another harpy, and repeat.
On the 41st floor, this means we''re constantly traveling between the 40th-floor gate, the city, and the 41st floor.
I just hope some quest progresses soon.
Five harpies seems like a number that could trigger something, right?
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Raei Trantions
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Why wouldn''t it?
If there''s a hidden element, achieving something five or ten times feels more usible than seven or eight.
People tend to aim for "let''s try five times, ten times" rather than "let''s try eight times."
"That''s true, we had wolf lure. Can we create a harpy lure as well?"
"...Oh man, this smells like the rotten meat I saw once in the forest. Since harpies have eagle bodies, do they eat carrion?"
After selling five harpies to the magic tower, we discovered a new harpy lure.
Although it attracts older harpies with vulture-like bodies rather than the beautiful, red-feathered ones, it''s still a useful discovery.
Being able to battle the monster packs roaming the fields feels like a step forward in our quest.
But with both the wolf lure and the harpy lure, it seems like the game is nudging yers towards alchemy...
"They said to crush this on a t rock at the mountain peak and hide under a camouge, then the harpies will approach."
"Needing a camouge as well? What a hassle."
But that''s something for BB Games to figure out.
Our party has a clear goal: head to the 45th floor, where anomalies often happen on floors ending in 5 or 0.
Didn''t the star-rated beauty harpy appear when a top-tier adventurer party conquered the 44th floor and advanced to the 45th?
So, it makes sense to think that the key to the quest is on the 45th floor.
As heroes battling the demon king''s schemes, as adventurers exploring unknown territories, and as yers aiming to conquer the tower, we need to reach the 45th floor.
"Let''s make a quick stop at the city of the stone dwarves and then head to the 45th floor as soon as possible. Like that giant tree on the 35th floor, if we''rete in discovering the 45th, we might face an irreversible scheme of the demon king."
"Hanna''s right. Where anomalies begin, sinister ns often follow. Now is the time to move forward in the name of the Goddess."
Han Se-Ah seems to rely on me, a naturally born 6 tank.
We can set up ambushes using lures to catch harpies on the 42nd floor, but that''s forter.
If the harpies don''t impede our progress, we''ll ignore them and forge ahead.
The magic tower has begun researching harpies and has even developed lures -
Mypanions agree with my reasoning without any objections.
Who would challenge our leader, a renowned, beautiful hero mage with numerous des?
The only downside to this n is that, should a formidable foe emerge, I, as the party''s tank, will be in the line of fire.
Me?
Facing danger?
Considering the enhanced lich we encountered on the 40th floor, I should be well-prepared for enemies up through at least the 60th-floor boss.
"Then let''s set off first thing tomorrow morning. For today, we should buy a camouge and head to the lodge... no, the mansion."
"It''s odd, owning a mansion and all."
As I watch Han Se-Ah lead the conversation from harpies to our mansion, I think about our amodations.
The mansion in the adventurers'' city, a gift from the princess, is managed by maid Emma and butler Sebastian.
Its grandeur and luxury make it more of a ''guild house'' than a mere home.
Beyond therge iron gate is a meticulously maintained garden with a quaint fountain.
A noble mansionplete with a coachman, gardener, butler, and maids.
While Katie might be at ease with it, Grace and Irene clearly feel overwhelmed.
Their frequent tower visits for harpy captures haven''t given them much time to limate to the mansion.
"But Emma''s cooking is really delicious. I''d love to learn and use her recipes inside the tower."
"Absolutely, Emma''s cooking could rival that of restaurant chefs."
Despite the difort of being served by maids, everyone relished the delicious meals.
Irene, particrly smitten by Emma''s culinary skills, was eager to learn from her.
Emma''s cooking was the most reminiscent of modern cuisine.
Not every inn could serve chicken and beer to the same standard.
There were both delectable and mediocre chickens, cafes with excellent macarons and those with superior coffee - quite the fantasy game world.
In this world, Emma was an NPC designed to facilitatefortable gamey progression, hence her exceptional cooking talent.
"We have to leave early tomorrow, so no alcohol tonight... I''ll ask Emma for her seasoned chicken."
"That sounds perfect. It''s spicy, sweet, and absolutely scrumptious."
-This is the essence of K-food.
-Is seasoned chicken a traditional dish?
-Well, since the sauce is made in Korea, we should consider it a special dish.
-But BB Games is an Americanpany, why the emphasis on Korean cuisine?
-Let''s not get too nationalistic. The cafe has macarons, and there''s plenty of American-style chicken and other international foods.
"It''s funny to see Grace and Irene so excited about seasoned chicken... It''s like watching a quirky, nationalistic TV show live."
Aside from the humorous sight of an archer in leather armor with arge bow and a priestess in a nun''s outfit requesting seasoned chicken from the maid, it was a peaceful day.
Except for the unexpected guest who couldn''t wait and decided to visit the mansion that night.